Tuesday, April 19, 2016

The Process of Spiritual Growth



(To download an mp3 file of this sermon, click on the title above. To listen now, click on the play button of the audio player shown.)

This sermon was given on April 17, 2016 at Wayside Community Church. It was on the subject of discipleship and it discusses some of the influences that help to shape a disciple of Jesus.

Written Excerpts:

Ephesians 4:13-15 (KJV) Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

Introduction:
Last Sunday we had a guest missionary speaker, but the few weeks prior to that I had been sharing the burden of my heart regarding the matter of Christian discipleship. We talked about the call that Christ gives for us to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Him. We also talked about what it means to be a disciple.
The last time I challenged us with the command or mandate that Jesus left with His disciples prior to His return to heaven… Go and teach all nations (make disciples of the peoples / ethnic groups)
I felt impressed to do one more message on this topic of discipleship for today – the subject of spiritual growth.
Growing is a vital part of everyday human development and many references in Scripture draw an analogy between growing spiritually and growing physically.
I had been reading over some materials that were written by Dr. Charles Lake, who is a pastor and author. He has written one of the many discipleship curricula that is available. Today I want to share some thoughts about the process of spiritual growth that I have adapted from Dr. Lake’s material.
As we talk to you about spiritual growth, I want to emphasize two basic points:
I.    Spiritual growth is normal for the Christian life.
II.  Spiritual growth results from several influences.

I.    Spiritual Growth Is Normal. (The absence of growth is abnormal.)
The Bible is very clear about the analogy between natural birth/growth and spiritual birth/growth.
First, there must be a birth.
John 1:12-13 (NKJV) But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 3:7 “You must be born again.”
I’m convinced, based on years of ministry experience, that some people aren’t growing spiritually in Christ because they’ve never truly had a spiritual birth. They’ve never experienced a moment in their lives when they truly repented of sin and committed their lives to the power and authority of Christ.
They have probably just started trying to assimilate some of the normal practices that Christians do without really experiencing a transforming spiritual birth.
Second, there must be signs of normal growth and development.
We have recently rejoiced over the birth of little Oakley. After she was born, Kenton and Mandy didn’t bring Oakley home from the hospital and place her in a baby bed, then walk away saying, “Well, we got that all finished.” No! It isn’t finished. Their job and her growth is just getting started.
Every child desperately needs the nurture and help of his or her parents, but the parents are also are looking for the normal signs of development in their child. The same analogy applies to spiritual growth.
When we are spiritually born, we all need the nurture and guidance that older Christians can provide, but we also need to be showing signs that we are making progress and developing more and more in the knowledge and grace of Jesus.
The Apostle Paul expressed this point in different ways in regards to churches he helped get started and in individuals he led to Christ. For example, the believers in the Galatian church, who had reverted back to some legalistic errors of Judaism. He refers to them as “little children” probably because he felt the tenderness of being their spiritual father (i.e., the one who first led them to Christ). It may also appropriately describe the fact that they hadn’t developed into spiritually mature believers yet.
Galatians 4:19 (NKJV) My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,
(R. Alan Cole, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries) “… with a typical mixture of metaphor, Paul says he is in labor all over again until Christ be formed in you... No-one doubts his meaning: it is the agony of the pastor, watching for signs of Christian growth in his flock…
Paul is agonizing over them until Christ takes shape in their lives and they more accurately demonstrate His character and grace.
Christian discipleship is about growing more and more in the knowledge of Christ as the knowledge works itself out in daily practice at home, at work, at church and in the community.
II.  Several Things Influence our Spiritual Growth.
Dr. Lake says, “Spiritual growth is a co-operative venture.  Christ and His Word at work in the heart of the believer, coupled with disciplined obedience on the part of the believer, coupled with effective discipling [results] in intentional, measurable growth.”
In this statement he identifies at least 4 influences that effect spiritual growth in the life of a believer: Christ, the Word, the aid of a discipler and the obedient cooperation of the disciple.
Actually, for our purposes today, we will combine the influence of Christ and the Word because both are active in us through the Holy Spirit.
Role of Christ and the Word
Philippians 1:1-6 (NKJV) Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
Philippians 2:12-13 (NKJV) Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV) But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV) All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
When we are born again and begin walking with the Lord we benefit from the very presence of Christ through the Holy Spirit, living inside of us and transforming us more and more into the image of Christ.
As we read, and study and memorize the Word it changes our patterns of thinking from a secular mindset or worldview into a biblical view of life and a new set of values.
Again, the Holy Spirit is at work in us through the living Word of God.
When Christ is living in us by His Spirit we begin to change. “Old things pass away and behold all things become new.” We’re truly a “new creation.” The same is true as the Word of God becomes more and more familiar to us because of reading and studying it.
The Role of the Discipler
In addition to the work that Christ and the Word is doing in the life of the new Christian, there is the additional influence of the “discipler” – the person who is teaching, encouraging, and modeling the Christian faith and life.
Listen to some of these statements by the Apostle Paul.
Colossians 1:28 (NKJV) Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 2:7-12 (NKJV) But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us. For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.
Did this effort have any valuable and noticeable results?
1 Thessalonians 1:6-7 (NKJV) And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe.
The Role of the Disciple
Finally, the role of the disciple is primarily the role of cooperation and obedience to Christ.
Philippians 2:12 (NKJV) Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
Does not mean – “figure it out for yourself; whatever you think salvation means for you.” Rather, it means – “Carefully (with fear and trembling) figure out how to let your salvation work itself out in your life.”
Dr. Lake – “We must work out what God in His grace has worked in us, applying to its fullest consequences what the Word of God teaches.”
1 Timothy 4:7-8 (KJV) But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
1 Timothy 4:7-8 (NASB) But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
Greek word for “exercise” (NASB “discipline”) is same word that our English word gymnasium comes from. “No pain, no gain.”
Conclusion:
There are a couple of other influences that definitely has an impact on every Christian’s spiritual growth, which we haven’t mentioned today because we’re focusing primarily on the subject of making disciples.
Those influences include: the corporate body of Christ (the church) and the ministry of prayer.
We don’t have time to deal with these topics today, but both prayer and the church have a great deal of influence on the growth of a disciple of Jesus.
As a discipler of the people everywhere he went, Paul not only sought to win people to Christ, but he earnestly worked to teach them, train them and grow them into mature Christians so that they would live and do just like he was and just like Jesus did.
Philippians 4:9 (NKJV) The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
As a pastor, my role and responsibility is to reproduce more and more people who follow Jesus as I follow Him. I recognize that God has called me to receive specialized theological education and pastoral training, and not everyone receives that calling. But He has called me and each one of us to not only follow Him ourselves, but we are to create followers (make disciples) who will follow Christ like we do.
When my time of service here as pastor has ended, I hope I will leave behind a host of people who love Jesus, and love people, and serve others, and lead people to know Christ, and teach them to carefully follow God’s Word and to become actively involved in carrying out Christ’s mission in our world.

The Command of Christ



(To download an mp3 file of this sermon, click on the title above. To listen now, click on the play button of the audio player shown.)

This is a sermon that was given April 3, 2016 at Wayside Community Church. It is based on verses found in Matthew 28; Mark 16 and Acts 1. Christ has given all disciples a command or mandate to go and make more disciples.

Written Excerpts:

Matthew 28:19-20 (NKJV) Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

Introduction:
Clarence Jordan … founder of the interracial Koinonia farm in Americus, Georgia, was getting a red-carpet tour of another minister's church. With pride the minister pointed to the rich, imported pews and luxurious decoration. As they stepped outside, darkness was falling, and a spotlight shone on a huge cross atop the steeple. "That cross alone cost us ten thousand dollars," the minister said with a satisfied smile. "You got cheated," said Jordan. "Times were when Christians could get them for free."   (Michael Jinkins, http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/d/discipleship.htm)
A few weeks ago I began to talk to you about the idea of being a disciple of Jesus Christ.
I remember reading a quote to you from (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship) “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”
We also talked about the fact that Jesus isn’t looking for people to be spectators who cheer for Him like the crowd in a sports arena.  
but looking for dedicated followers who will seriously seek to live like He lived and teach others to do the same, so that…
His Kingdom comes and His will is done on earth as it is in heaven.
We have talked about the call of Jesus, which includes the call to discipleship; to be a follower rather than a fan.
We have talked about what it means to be a follower/disciple.
·     It involves denying self
·     It involves taking up the cross
·     It involves following
Those three things are meant to be a lifestyle; a lifetime of learning and putting into practice. They never are completed or finished until we cross over from earth to glory.
Today, I want to talk to you about the command of Christ. We will begin by referring to a few different passages of Scripture that speak about Christ’s commands.
Then we will look more closely at one specific command that further explains what Christ has in mind for every disciple.
I.    Obedience is expected of a disciple.
Luke 6:46 (NKJV) "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?
Matthew 7:21 (NKJV) "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
A committed follower of Jesus Christ is someone who obeys the commands of the Master.
This is not a slavish, legalistic, commitment to a list of rules, but neither is it a half-hearted, non-interested, hit and miss treatment of the Lord’s deepest desires and intentions for His people.
John 14:21-24 (NKJV) 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?" 23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.
II.  Christ has given plenty of commands.
It truly takes a lifetime of learning and studying to understand all the commands (direct & implied) that God has given to His children and followers.
One Example: John 13:34 (NKJV) A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
As I said, there are many commands of Christ in the Bible that we should be learning and we should be trying our best to obey and follow.
There is one specific command that I want to zero in on for the rest of the message today.
III.   Make Disciples
Matthew 28:19-20 (NKJV) 19Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
“Go” – aorist participle; “having gone”
“Make disciples” (teach all nations) – (primary verb; imperative) teach people to become followers / students / imitators / disciples
“all nations” – ἔθνη; nations; peoples; Gentiles; a multitude of individuals of the same nature or genus (Thayer, Greek-English Lexicon of the NT)
“Baptizing” – present participle;
“Teaching” – present participle; different & more common word than “make disciples”
Baptizing and teaching are never-ending, on-going facets of work while engaged in “making disciples.”
It is better to train ten people than to do the work of ten people. But it is harder.  (D.L. Moody, http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/d/discipleship.htm)
Command vs. Mandate
We’ve been referring to this verse in Matthew as a command of Jesus.
Last year when I attended the class called, Perspectives on World Christian Movement, at GCC, one of the lecturers shared this thought:
A command – given to a specific individual(s) and it can be completed/fulfilled individually.

A mandate – given generationally and it can only be completed/fulfilled corporately.
I think far too many people read this passage at the end of Matthew’s gospel and understand it as a command that was given specifically to the 12 disciples.
As such, they never conclude that we are expected to carry out the command as Christians in the 21st century.
However, the command was not intended to be completed by the 12 disciples/apostles only. Yes, they were expected to start it and be engaged in it. But they weren’t expected to complete it.
Therefore, it is more than a command – it is a mandate. It is a commission for generation after generation of disciples to keep making more and more disciples until all the nations are reached; until there are dedicated followers of Jesus in every nation and group of people in the world.
Look at: Acts 14:21 (NKJV) And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,
Jesus does expect us to preach the gospel.
Jesus does expect us to minister to the poor, the hungry, the sick, etc.
Jesus does expect us to resist evil and promote righteousness in the society.
But, we can do all those things without really obeying the mandate; without really completing the commission. We are all charged with the responsibility of becoming disciples of Jesus ourselves, and then teach others to become disciples.
1 Corinthians 11:1 (KJV) Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.     (NIV) Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
Conclusion
I have been in fulltime Christian ministry for about 37 years.
I have tried to Preach the gospel; Minister to the poor, the hungry and the sick; Stand up for righteousness in the culture, But… I don’t know that I have deliberately and successfully discipled one person. I’ve led many people to faith in Christ. But I haven’t intentionally trained any of them one-on-one, and nurtured them until they were steadfast in the faith and in the process of discipling other people to follow Christ.

If we are going to truly be disciples/followers of Jesus, we need to take seriously the mandate to “go and teach all people” i.e. teach them to be real disciples of Jesus.
If our church is going to be a positive force for the kingdom of God in the future, we need to take seriously the mandate to teach people to be real disciples of Jesus.
Otherwise, we’ll be what I described a couple of Sundays ago – a crowd (stadium) of people who are big fans of Jesus, and we come to church fairly regularly to cheer for Jesus, but…
We aren’t really interested in learning everything we can about Him and His will for our lives. We aren’t really interested in letting Him transform us and take complete control of us. aren’t really interested in investing our time and energy into the lives of others in order to help them to become committed followers of Jesus.
I want to be obedient to this mandate. I asking this morning for 2 or 3 men who are willing to meet with me on a weekly basis and work through a disciple-making curriculum with the intention of learning how you can duplicate the process with others in the future.
I am also interested in finding 2-3 other men or women who feel convicted as I do and you would like to get started in teaching one or two others how to become disciples of Jesus.

Born to Follow



(To download an mp3 file of this sermon, click on the title above. To listen now, click on the play button of the audio player shown.)

This is a sermon that was preached at Wayside Community Church on Palm Sunday, March 20, 2016. The theme of the message was discipleship and following Jesus.

Written Excerpts:

Matthew 10:38 (NKJV) 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

Introduction: Today is Palm Sunday and we’ve been singing songs and reading Scripture that speaks about praising God. On Palm Sunday over 20 centuries ago, people spontaneously began singing and shouting praise to the Lord as He rode toward Jerusalem. I want to use that thought to transition into the theme I planned to speak about last week.
As Jesus rode toward Jerusalem, I imagine it could be possible that Jesus thought, “How great it would be if all these people would not only praise me, but also become dedicated followers and disciples for the rest of their lives.”
I’m sure you’ve heard some parents or grandparents speaking about their little “Johnny” or “Mary” and they will say something like this, “He was just born to lead! (She was just born to lead!) Look at the way he/she gets all the other kids to do things.”
Sometimes we can just watch a child or a young person and we say, “He/she was just born to be a leader.” Sometimes we say that about someone that is an adult and has demonstrated unusual leadership skills.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone describe someone in a positive way by saying, “You know, I can just tell that he/she was just born to follow!” Usually if the matter of “following” is being discussed, we might hear someone say, “He better be very careful, because he’s a follower and always does what everyone else is doing, or goes where everyone else is going.”
A couple of weeks ago we talked about the call of Christ for people to respond to different aspects of His call. The call to listen and understand; the call to humility; the call for healing; the specific call to apostleship; and the general call to be His disciple or follower.
I want to take us a little deeper today into the discussion about following Jesus Christ as a true disciple.
Question: “Why did Jesus save you/me?”
Answer: Because He loves us and He wants to take us to heaven. - Yes, that is certainly true.
Because He wants to have a relationship with us. - True.
But also – To carry out His mission of expanding the Kingdom of God on earth.
Jesus is not merely interested in “handing out tickets to heaven.” He is seeking followers. He is seeking people who will not only believe in Him and trust Him for their salvation, but pledge to be a learner and follower. He is seeking people who will be the agents of transformation in the world so that His kingdom comes and His will is done on earth as it is in heaven.
God could miraculously save everyone in the whole world. He could forgive the sins of every person and say He’s just taking us all going to heaven. But, that isn’t good enough. There already was an event similar to that centuries ago – the Exodus. God miraculously delivered a couple of million people from Egypt. But, the problem that was quickly revealed was this: Egypt hadn’t been delivered out of the hearts of the people.
Proposition: I believe that God not only wants to save us and forgive our sins, but He wants to transform us and make us agents who will effectively transform our world by doing what He would do. That can only be accomplished if we become committed and dedicated followers of Him to the extent that we become like Him and then show others how to become like Him.
One of the verses we looked at briefly at the end of the sermon last week was…
Mark 8:34 (NKJV) When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me….”
Today, I want to talk to you about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.
I. What is a disciple?
To discuss what it means to be a disciple, we first need to describe or define what a disciple is.
Dr. Richard Peace, professor of evangelism at Fuller Theological Seminary, wrote an article on discipleship in a book titled, The Complete Book of Everyday Christianity: An A-To-Z Guide To Following Christ in Every Aspect of Life.
He said, In the New Testament there is abundant discussion of what it means to be a disciple. This is not surprising since discipleship was a common phenomenon in the first-century world. Greek philosophers had disciples, as did the Pharisees (Matthew 22:15-16), not to mention John the Baptist (Mark 2:18; John 1:35). The Jews, on occasion, referred to themselves as disciples of Moses (John 9:27-28).
In these relationships, disciples were understood to be individuals committed to a particular person so as to learn that person’s teaching or way of life and then to follow a particular pattern of life, whether by living in a certain way, passing on the teaching to others or engaging in political or religious activities.
Jesus and his disciples shared this common understanding of the relationship between teacher and disciple. Thus to follow Jesus meant to do what Jesus did (to reproduce or replicate his ministry; for example, Mark 6:7-13, 30; Luke 10:1-20) and to believe what Jesus taught (obey his word; for example, John 8:31-32; John 17:6).
The same two characteristics hold true today for those of us who would be Jesus’ disciples.
First, to be a disciple of Jesus is to be involved in ministry [i.e. do what Jesus did].
[In other words, we follow Him by emulating Him.]
The nature and character of that ministry varies greatly: from voluntary ministry to tent-making ministry to ordained ministry. The important point is not what we do but that we understand our task in life to be one of ministry. This will mean that we engage in that task with a consciousness that we are called to it by God, that we seek to honor and serve God in this task and that we exhibit the characteristics of a disciple of Jesus while engaged in our task.
Being a disciple is much more than accepting and believing in a set of propositions about Jesus. It is much more than going to church to cheer for Jesus, or even “cheer” for those who are involved in various aspects of Kingdom work. A true disciple cannot sit on the sidelines and leave the work of the kingdom to others that we may think are more talented and gifted than us. Every true follower of Jesus is involved in some kind of ministry. And, while involved in that ministry, he/she strives to exhibit the same character that Jesus has.
(Dr. Peace goes on) Secondly, to be a disciple of Jesus is to engage in ongoing examination, analysis and application of Scripture.
[That is, to be a student / learner. There should be a desire in the heart of every true follower of Christ to keep learning more about Him and more about His will for us.]
I want to be a follower and learner of Jesus; not just because I am a pastor/preacher, but because He has forgiven me and changed my heart. I love Him and I am grateful for the salvation He has provided. He deserves my allegiance and service.
II. What is the cost of discipleship?
The second thing we need to talk about as we discuss the meaning of the word disciple is the cost of discipleship.
There are plenty of Scripture passages that describe what the cost of discipleship is, but Jesus summed it all up in…
Mark 8:34 (KJV) And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
“Whosoever will…” – Some of the more recent translations use the words “whoever desires,” but the inherent meaning of the word indicates the exercise of will or a volitional choice.
If you deliberately choose to be a disciple of Jesus there are 3 things required:
A. “deny himself” - (Lenski New Testament Commentary)    … to turn someone off, to refuse association and companionship with him, to disown. And the one to be disowned and denied is ἑαυτός, SELF, and that means self altogether, not merely some portion, some special habit or desire, some outward practice. … As Peter afterward denied Jesus by saying, "I know not the man!" so must you say to this your self: "I disown you completely!"
For example, Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane – “Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.”
Essentially, it is the same thing as “de-throning” self and “en-throning” Christ. (Quote from Tozer in last week’s bulletin. In every Christian's heart there is a cross and a throne, and the Christian is on the throne till he puts himself on the cross; if he refuses the cross, he remains on the throne…. We want to be saved, but we insist that Christ do all the dying. No cross for us, no dethronement, no dying. We remain king within the little kingdom of Man-soul and wear our tinsel crown with all the pride of a Caesar; but we doom ourselves to shadows and weakness and spiritual sterility. – A. W. Tozer )
B. “take up his cross” 
(Lenski New Testament Commentary) Jesus undoubtedly chose this figure because he himself was to be crucified. Although this was a Roman mode of execution it was known universally. Jesus will bear his cross, one which he alone can bear. Of his disciples he says that each is to bear his cross, i.e., the particular one allotted to him.
This word has grown too familiar by constant use. It is a mistake to call all our suffering a cross. [The Bible says that] the wicked have many sorrows (Ps. 32:10) but no crosses. The cross is that suffering alone which results from our faithful connection with Christ. And the [suggestion] is that each disciple will have his share of such suffering.
In reality, the cross was not only a symbol of suffering, but it ultimately was an instrument of death.
(Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship) “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”
(A.W. Tozer, The Divine Conquest) “The cross where Jesus died became also the cross where His apostle died. The loss, the rejection, the shame, belong both to Christ and to all who in very truth are His. The cross that saves them also slays them, and anything short of this is a pseudo-faith and not true faith at all.”
Dear friends, this matter of being a disciple is not a game. Jesus does not attempt to attract followers by telling us how fun it will be, or how easy it will be, or how popular it will be. No! He calls us to suffer for Him if necessary. He calls us to die to self and possibly even literally die for His cause.
He calls people to accept the cross; not avoid it.
C. “Follow Me” – present tense, i.e. continuously.
(R. Alan Cole, Tyndale Commentaries) The thought is plain to every child playing the game of ‘follow my leader’, in which there is only one rule, that no follower shirks going to any place where the leader has first gone.
Everywhere Jesus goes and everything Jesus does, His disciple goes and does also.
(Cole continues) Ultimately, to the Christian, this following of Jesus becomes the hope of heaven, since our leader has already gone there (Heb. 6:19-20): but first comes the cross. ‘No cross, no crown’ is a [concise] piece of theology which must have been ever-present in the minds of the early Christians at Rome and other centers of persecution.
Conclusion:
Let me emphasize once again, dear friends, Jesus calls all of us to be His disciples. Everyone one of us were BORN TO FOLLOW! Our earthly purpose is to follow Jesus Christ every step of our lives. That was never intended to be an easy road – a road that you can travel with very little effort and very little thought.
I recognize that my responsibility and role as Pastor and spiritual leader is to challenge you and motivate you and equip you to become a true disciple of Jesus Christ.
(Richard Rohr, Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life) “Those who are not true leaders will just affirm people at their own immature level.”
It is not easy for me to “shake” people out of their comfort zone and positions of stagnation. But that happens to be my responsibility as a pastor and spiritual leader.
So I challenge you today. Don’t be satisfied to be an observer. Don’t be satisfied to just follow Jesus “at a distance.” Let’s make a decision today to go all out for Jesus!

An Easter Vision



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This is a sermon given on Easter Sunday at Wayside Community Church. It is based on statements surrounding the crucifixion and resurrection narratives that speak about things the witnesses saw.

Written Excerpts:

Luke 23:44 – 24:12

Introduction:
In our day-to-day conversation and language usage we have different ways to express the fact that sometimes it is possible to “look” at something without really “seeing” what is going on, or what it is all about. Sometimes we say, “They can’t see the forest for the trees.”
Sometimes we may hear someone ask, “Did you really see what was happening there?”
As we live our lives each day we witness many things, but often we don’t have the time, or don’t take the time, to stop and analyze what we have seen in order to truly understand what we saw. There is a difference between merely observing something and comprehending what we see.
In the passage of Scripture that was read earlier we have the account of the disciples and followers of Jesus as they discovered the empty tomb and the truth that Jesus had risen from the dead. In the previous chapter (Luke 23:44-56), we have several verses describing the crucifixion. th of these chapters there is repeated use of various words that all have to do with vision (words like: saw, sight, seeing, watching, observe, found, and behold).
For the next several minutes I want to focus your attention on some sights surrounding the crucifixion and the resurrection so we all can leave this service having a genuine Easter vision.
I.    Look at the blood to see God’s love for sinners.
The Bible plainly tells us that the blood was very special.
Lev. 17:11 “The life of the flesh is in the blood.”
Because of this principle, the Israelites were forbidden to eat the blood of any animal, because the blood represented the life of the animal.
Gen. 9:6“Whoever sheds man’s blood (i.e. destroys the life that God has created, and only God has the authority to take), by man shall his blood be shed” (i.e. by the authority placed in them by God Himself).
Whenever blood is shed that means a life has ended; a life was sacrificed. Many, many passages in the OT that condemns the leaders because of the innocent blood that was being shed in Israel.
Starting with the symbolism in the sacrifices of the Old Testament and continuing to the sacrifice of God’s Son on the cross, the shedding of blood was always equated with the pardoning of sin.
Matthew 26:28 (NKJV) For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Jesus was willing to literally give up his life and shed His own blood so we could be forgiven.
In the Scripture we referred to earlier, it says, “When the Centurion saw what happened, he glorified God saying, ‘Surely, this was a righteous man!’” (In Matthew’s Gospel, “Truly this was the Son of God.”) The Centurion not only saw a crucifixion, but he saw the shedding of blood. If you compare a couple of the passages, it is very likely that he witnessed the spear driven into the Savior’s side.
He obviously could see the blood from the wounds on His back, and the thorns on His head. He saw a life being sacrificed as His blood flowed, and he saw the willingness with which He died, demonstrating His love for sinners.
Look at the shed blood, and the sacrificed Son to see God’s love for sinners.
II.  Look at the cross to see God’s hatred for sin.
We understand that the cross is the place where the blood was shed, so there is a close connection between this thought and the previous one. However, I want to underscore the stigma, the scandal and the horror of the cross.
Paul states it plainly to the Corinthians, “For the preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God…. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Cor. 1:18, 22-24)
I want to read for you a description of crucifixion that I came across in a Bible encyclopedia.
(The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
As an instrument of death the cross was detested by the Jews. "Cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree" (Galatians 3:13; compare Deut. 21:23), hence, it became a stumbling-block to them, for how could one accursed of God be their Messiah?...
The usual mode of crucifixion was familiar to the Greeks, the Romans, the Egyptians, Persians and Babylonians... The Roman citizen was exempt from this form of death, it being considered the death of a slave. The punishment was meted out for such crimes as treason, desertion in the face of the enemy, robbery, piracy, assassination, sedition, etc… The suffering of death by crucifixion was intense, especially in hot climates. Severe local inflammation, coupled with an insignificant bleeding of the jagged wounds, produced traumatic fever, which was aggravated by exposure to the heat of the sun, the strain of the body and insufferable thirst. The swelling around the rough nails and the torn lacerated tendons and nerves caused excruciating agony. The arteries of the head and stomach were surcharged with blood and a terrific throbbing headache ensued. The mind was confused and filled with anxiety and dread foreboding. The victim of crucifixion literally died a thousand deaths… The length of this agony was wholly determined by the constitution of the victim, but death rarely ensued before thirty-six hours had elapsed… Death was sometimes hastened by breaking the legs of the victims and by a hard blow delivered under the armpit before crucifixion… The sudden death of Christ evidently was a matter of astonishment (Mark 15:44). The peculiar symptoms mentioned by John (19:34, i.e. pierced side – “blood and water came out”) would seem to point to a rupture of the heart, of which the Savior died, independent of the cross itself, or perhaps hastened by its agony.
In addition to all the physical pain, there was the total abandonment and isolation Jesus felt as He cried, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?” Never before nor since has the intimate fellowship in the Trinity been affected like it was in those moments on the cross.

Standing there and seeing the cross in all its cruelty, all its horror and the abandonment of the Father, we can’t help but get a vision of God’s hatred for sin. It is so strong, it requires the full force of His judgment against His own eternal Son.
Finally,
III. Look at the tomb to see God’s power over evil.
Several of the people mentioned in our Scripture reading today were witnesses to the empty tomb.
These people, and undoubtedly many others, saw the empty tomb.
Some skeptics have alleged that they all went to the wrong tomb! But, in saying this, they also allege that everyone else evidently went to the wrong tomb too, including all the authorities. Surely within the next several hours, or the next few days, someone could have figured that out and simply led everyone to the “correct place.” No, they didn’t go to the wrong tomb. The tomb was empty. The day before it had a corpse, but today it is empty.

The sight of an empty tomb represents VICTORY! This is a victory over death; a victory over Satan; and a victory over sin. More than that, it’s a victory over all evil that has permeated the world ever since the Garden of Eden.
This victory represents the “crushing of the serpent’s head” that was predicted by God Himself in the aftermath of Adam’s sin.
This victory is not just for Jesus, but it your victory too! It is my victory too!
Rom. 8:11 “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
If we have the living Christ dwelling within our hearts, there is no need for us to be defeated and constantly beat down by the Devil and enemy of our souls.
God has grace to provide victory for us through the same Spirit that raised the Son of God from the dead!
Conclusion:
The victory of the empty tomb provides the guarantee of an even greater victory at the end of this age. When I recognize and embrace the resurrection for what it truly is, I am instantly filled with hope and expectation for a victory that is yet to come, when all the forces of evil and darkness will be destroyed once-and-for-all.
Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords, will rule with holiness and righteousness. There will be an immediate end of all violence, deception, oppression, and every other manifestation of Satan’s schemes.
Because He Lives I can face tomorrow
     Because He lives all fear is gone
     Because I know He holds the future
    And life is worth the living because He lives!